Dope brush



Feb. 7, 1950 w. e. CUMMINGS DOPE BRUSH Filed May 23, 1946 E w m Ezra/krill? INVENTOR.

Patented Feb. 7, 1950 j UNITED STATES TFATE'NT OFFICE DOPE BRUSH William G. Cummings, Tulsa, Okla.

Application May 23, 1946, Serial No; 671,671

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to equipment for the maintenance of drill pipe in wells and more particularly to a device for applying protective dressing to the threads of drill collars and tool joints.

It is the present practice in pulling or running in drill stems or other pipe to spread over the threaded joints of the pipe a protective composition, such as a mixture of lead, zinc and grease, to prevent the joints from freezing and to minimize wear from chattering. The operation of applying the dressing has been done heretofore by means of a stick to which is tied a rag which is dipped into the dressing and wiped upon the threads of a joint.

Since the dressing of a drill collar must be done quickly and under hazardous conditions, it frequently happens that the coating is inadequately applied, more especially in cases when the application of the dressing is done with poor visibility. Moreover, not infrequently, the workman, in his haste, will accidentally drop the device down the pipe which will interfere with proper circulation of drilling fluid unless retrieved, which involves expense in shut-down time.

It is the principal object of the invention to provide, as a new article of manufacture, a brush having on its-handle, an attachment which, while interfering in no way with the prescribed use of the brush, will prevent the latter from being dropped into a pipe while the brush is being used to apply a protective coating to the threads of a joint, such as a drill collar.

Another object of the invention is to provide, by virtue of the brush, an improved mode of applying dope" or mixture of lead, zinc and grease, to the threads of drill collars and other pipe joints, by reason of the fact that the bristles of the brush are more effective than a rag in unlformly spreading the composition. Moreover, the attachment on the handle of the brush, being of a length exceeding the diameter of the pipe into which the brush is thrust, avoids any possibility that the instrument will fall into the pipe. Further, the guard, as the attachment may be called, being adjustable on the brush handle, serves in the capacity of a depth gauge to insure application of dressing only to the threads of the female section of a drill collar, thus conserving the dressi With the foregoing objects as paramount, the invention has further reference to certain features of accomplishment which will become apparent as the description proceeds, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a dope brush and handle guard constructed according to the invention.

Figure 2 is a rear end elevational view.

Figure 3 is a view taken on line 3-3 on Figure 2, cshowing the brush handle partly in section, an

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view of one end of a drill stem or drill collar in vertical section showing the dope brush inserted and illustrating the purpose of the adjustable guard thereon.

Continuing with a more detailed description of the drawings, a handle ill of any desired length and cross sectional shape is provided with a head ll of bristles, constitutes the basic instrument and aside from an attachment l2, slidably mounted on the handle, the instrument is of conventional construction.

The attachment I2 is preferably of rhomboidal shape for the purpose chiefly of reducing its mass and consequently the weight thereof, yet preserving its length so that its ends will extend well beyond the brush head II on each side to bear upon the end of a drill collar l3 when the brush head is inserted thereinto. Ordinarily, the length of the brush head II is substantially equal to the threaded section of the collar I3 hence its requires no pains on the part of a workman handling the brush to predetermine the depth to which the brush is to be inserted into the pipe to insure that the substance on the head ll reaches the lowermost threads of the threaded section. In Figure l is shown in broken lines the poLtion to which the attachment or guard i2 is moved on the handle l0 when dressing threaded sections whose length is no greater than that of the brush head ll per se. Obviously, when the threaded sections are of greater length than the head II, the guard, being only frictionally retained on the handle l0, may be quickly and conveniently moved upwardly on the handle to a postion thereon predetermined by the depth of the threaded section of the drill collar 13.

The attachment l2 should not be confused with attachments for the handles of paint brushes for intercepting paint tending to flow downwardly along the handle when painting ceilings or other surfaces above the head because such attachments will serve no useful purpose in predetermining the depth to which a brush may be inserted into a pipe, yet permitting the brush to be effectively used to apply to a surrounding surface the substance with which the bristles of the brush are saturated.

The guard I2 is preferably made of rubber, chiefly for the reason that this material is little given to wear and yields to pressure imposed to change its position on the handle I0, it having ,5 been pointed out that fricion is the only means for retaining the attachment on the handle.

There are other advantages inherently present in the combination, namely that when the guard I2 is moved to a position of contiguity or near contiguity with the head H, the latter may be to the chief purpose of the device, the guard I I'- predetermines the depth to which the brush may 4 receiving said handle member and a flat surface adjacent to the bristles, said member being i'rictionally retained onsaid handle throughout the length thereof in transverse relation to its be thrust into a. bucket or other container for the longitudinal axis and adjustable longitudinally substance being applied to the threaded Joints-0t pipe. v

Manifestly, the construction as shown and described is capable of some modification and such modification as may be construed to fall within the scope andmeans of the appended claim is:

also considered to be within the spirit and intent of the invention.

What is claimed is:

As an article of manufacture, a device for 4 applying a combination lubricating andsealing compound to an internally threaded sectionoi err-said handle throughout the length thereof, the major dimension of said guard being lateral o! the handle and greater than the lateral dimension oi the bristles.

- WILLIAM G. CUMMINGS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the tile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 376,897v Rowland Jan. 10, 1888 I 1,858,176 Webb May lO, 1932 21055313 Cassius Sept. 29, 1936 2229;084' Horne Jan. 21, 1941 

